Warriors - A Hidden Battle
by SinisterShrimp
Summary: Two young cats, Hedge and Absurd, from Crimsonclan, must go on a mission to spy on and murder a traitor of the rogues that joined Shellclan. Once the two fall in love, they are torn between the choice of living in the murderous life of Crimsonclan, or living in Shellclan, a perfect place to restart their lives. (Cover image by NeCroven on Deviant Art)
1. Allegiance and Prologue

**Shellclan (Like Thunderclan)**

Leader

Reedstar - Dark gray tom with red and orange speckles covering his pelt and yellow eyes

Deputy

Frostymoon - Light gray she-cat with a white muzzle and bright blue eyes

Medicine cat

Hawkpoppy - Brown tortoiseshell tom with green eyes

(Apprentice, Dewpaw)

Queens (With kits or expecting)

Daylily - Orange she-cat with pale green eyes

(Kits, Lavenderkit, Rabbitkit, Twitchkit)

Luckwing - Pale calico she-cat with light yellow eyes

(Kits, Expecting)

Warriors

Honeydew - Blonde-ish, tan she-cat with warm, yellow eyes

(Apprentice, Lickpaw)

Larktalon - Jet black tom with cool blue eyes

Swansong - Light gray she-cat with one bright blue eye and the other missing

(Apprentice, Duckpaw)

Brightmoon - Dark gray speckled tom with pale blue eyes

(Apprentice, Hedgepaw)

Featherspark - Pale tan she-cat with searing yellow eyes

Saptongue - Brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Elders

Mushroomfoot - Tan and white colored tom with light blue eyes

Shimmersnow - White she-cat with blinded gray eyes

 **Bloomclan (Like Windclan)**

Leader

Echostar - White she-cat with and orange stripes across her pelt and blue eyes

Deputy

Jaymoon - Gray tabby she-cat with darker stripes and turquoise eyes

Medicine cat

Foxspark - Orange and black colored tom with dark green eyes

(Apprentice, Webpaw)

Queens (With kits or expecting)

Grayfeather - Gray pelt with a white muzzle and pretty blue eyes

(No kits, she takes in orphans)

Specklednose - Orange tortoiseshell pelt with green eyes and a white speckled nose

(Kits, Quailkit, Pinekit)

Fawnwing - A brown and white she-cat with green eyes and darker brown spots

(Kits, Stonekit, Stormkit)

Warriors

Snowpine - Colorful calico tom with green eyes

(Apprentice, Longpaw)

Jack - Siamese colored long-hair tom with yellow eyes

Vixenstripe - A brownish-red she-cat with really pale blue eyes

(Apprentice, Tappingpaw)

Laughingnose - Gray tom with blue eyes and a scarred nose

(Apprentice, Dustypaw)

Desertmoon - Sleek black and white she-cat with yellow eyes

Pebblecall - Light gray she-cat with white spots on paws and chest and has light blue eyes

Elders

Riversong - Bluish-gray tom with blue eyes

Shimmertail - Old black she-cat with green eyes and a gray tail

Landstripe - Cranky black she-cat with yellow eyes

 **Scarletclan (Like Shadowclan)**

Leader

Coldstar - Golden tom with yellow eyes and long fur

Deputy

Violetsong - Pretty silver she-cat with violet eyes

Medicine cat

Cedarpool - Brown tom with darker stripes and yellow eyes

(Apprentice, Lostpaw)

Queens (With kits or expecting)

Robinsong - Calico she-cat with green eyes

(Kits, Expecting)

Pinepool - Orange tortoiseshell pelt with green eyes and a white speckled nose

(Kits, Dasiykit, Applekit, Bloomkit)

Warriors

Whitebird - White she-cat with gray splotches on her pelt and blue eyes

(Apprentice, Jadepaw)

Shadedstripe - Golden striped she-cat with yellow eyes and white muzzle

Marshwave - White and gray patched tom with pale blue eyes

(Apprentice, Kestrelpaw)

Skyblaze - Black she-cat with orange-red eyes

(Apprentice, Frogpaw)

Minnowstreak - Blue colored she-cat with moon-like eyes

Talonswoop - Brown tabby tom with cold brown eyes

Elders

Nighteyes - Blueish black tom with dark yellow eyes

Sneezewhisker - Gray tom with blue eyes and white spots on his face

 **Creekclan (Like Riverclan)**

Leader

Newtstar - Bright orange and white striped tom with green eyes and a torn ear

Deputy

Spiderpelt - A brownish tom with cold yellow eyes and a crimson colored pelt

Medicine cat

Rivermoon - Silver pretty she-cat with pale blue eyes

(Apprentice, Badgerpaw)

Queens (With kits or expecting)

Dapplespark - Gray she-cat with white dappled spots and light blue eyes

(Kits, Harekit)

Aspensong - Bright tan-orange she-cat with pretty yellow-orange eyes

(No Kits, she takes in orphans)

Warriors

Rainfall - Light pink and tan she-cat with hazel eyes

(Apprentice, Frozenpaw)

Puddleflight - Gray she-cat with cool white designs on her pelt and orange eyes

Goosewhisker - Grumpy tan tom with green eyes

Ripplenose - Pale gray tom with wavy short hair and yellow eyes

(Apprentice, Hailpaw)

Fishfoot - Gray tom with blue eyes and one white paw

Splashstorm - Black she-cat with white spots on her face and paws with violet eyes

Littledrop - Blue she-cat with blue eyes and white spots

Elders

Otterpool - Old brown tabby tom with brown eyes

Salmonblaze - Salmon-colored tom with yellow-orange eyes

 **Crimsonclan (Like Bloodclan)**

Leader

Ace - Insane dark gray tom with blood-color eyes and a blood-stained spiked collar

Deputy

Ghost - Light gray tom with pale blue eyes and a blue collar

Assassins

Absurd - White pelt with red markings in random places and blood-orange eyes

Sly - Jet black she-cat with blue eyes and a blue spiked collar

Jinx - White and gray patched she-cat with pale blue eyes

Link - Jet black tom with short fur and yellow eyes

Spies

Hedge - Brown tabby she-cat with a white underbelly and green eyes

Finch - Pale gray tabby tom with pale blue eyes and a blue spiked collar

Blizzard - White tom with gray-blue eyes and a gray collar

Zora - Sleek silver she-cat with violet eyes

Guards

Rem - Pale calico she-cat with blood-orange eyes and a blue and green collar

Nick - Orange tabby tom with yellow eyes and white spots with a dark red spiked collar

Mongo - Jet black tom with long fur and blue eyes and an orange collar

Bane - Sleek silver tabby she-cat with gray eyes and a pink spiked collar

Nile - Brown tabby tom with darker stripes, brown eyes and a blue collar

Messengers (Lowest rank)

Coal - Dirty-blonde tom cat with messy fur and yellow eyes

Mika - Brown tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes and a light blue collar

Sox - Sandy-colored tom with green eyes and a dark green collar

* * *

 **PROLOGUE**

"I want that cat killed." A menacing snarl came from the corner of the den, which was lacking light to see his face. A small dirty-blonde cat listened to his leader, trying not to show his fear, "No, I need that cat killed! That traitor deserves to be dead! He'll spoil all of our secrets!"

"Ace," The small cat's voice echoed weakly around the two, "I-I'm sure he can't do _that_ much harm to Crimsonclan, don't you think…?" Suddenly, his leader leapt from the shadows, almost a blur. The small cat yelped in alarm, then in pain, as Ace sunk his claws into his fur, pinning him to the cold floor.

"Do _not_ question me, or my needs." Ace snarled. There was silence for a heartbeat, except for the whimpering of the cat under Ace's claws, "Got it, Coal?"

Coal didn't answer. Ace sunk his claws deeper into the smaller cat, causing him to let out a gasp of pain, "Y-yes! I got it, Ace!" He managed to choke out a few words.

Ace released him, letting Coal scramble to his paws, "Very good. Now, fetch me my best Assassin." Coal backed away, swallowing hard, and nodded. He turned tail and raced from the den. Half blinded from the burning light of day, he bluntly called around for Absurd, one of the most skilled assassins in Crimsonclan.

Absurd sat beside his friend, Hedge, whose role was a Spy in Crimsonclan. Not that it was any of Cole's business, but he noticed Absurd sneaking glances at the pretty she-cat.

"I'm over here." Absurd meowed, flicking his tail impatiently, "What is it?"

Coal quickly dipped his head to acknowledge the older cat, then looked up at him, "Absurd, Ace needs you in the den." He meowed, his voice quivering.

"Right now? Can't it wait?" He glanced over his shoulder at their leader's den where Ace emerged, his look serious and insane with greed. Then he looked back at Hedge, who nodded to him to go.

"Immediately." Coal whispered fiercely, ducking his head. For a heartbeat, Coal thought Absurd would refuse, but eventually he rose to his paws, lazily slumping his shoulders as he bounded over to their leader. Coal followed him close behind, passing other rogues as he walked.

"Ah, Absurd! My trusty groupmate." Ace smiled, tilting his head as Absurd approached, "I've got a new mission for you."

Absurd sat down, then yawned, "What do you need me to do?" he asked, looking like he was bored of the meeting already.

Ace frowned, but went on with what he was saying, "Absurd, I need you to kill a cat for me. He's a traitor and knows of our plan."

"Is the cat in a clan?" The white and orangish-red cat asked, his eyes flashing with interest.

"Shellclan, or something like that. West side of the Shining Meadow." He meowed, smiling. Coal slunk back as Ace flashed his sharp teeth.

"What's in it for me?" Absurd asked, making Coal gasp. No one has ever dared to question the leader with such disrespect!

Ace narrowed his eyes, but let out a shrill laugh, "Oh, Absurd, you never fail to amuse me." He snickered cruelly, then his face turned serious, "If you succeed in killing Lick, the stupid traitor we're targeting, I will allow you to be my Deputy of this group. If I die, you will be the next leader."

Absurd considered it for a heartbeat, then glanced at the original Deputy, who was eating some crowfood. Ace seemed to read his thoughts, "Ah, I'm sure Ghost wouldn't mind stepping down for you. And if he refuses, I'll make sure he's no problem." he smirked.

Absurd looked back at Ace and nodded, "I'll do it. I'll kill Lickpaw."

"Great! You'll leave tomorrow at dawn. The spy, Hedge, will go with you. I will give you four moons, no more, no less."

Absurd started to turn away, but Ace interrupted him, "Oh! And if you fail… Well," He scoffed insanely, "You're precious mate will die."


	2. Chapter 1 - Hedge's mission begins

Hedge's paws danced around Absurd's den with excitement, "Another mission!" She chirped, smiling at Absurd, "And it's with you, even better!"

"Don't get _too_ excited, Hedge." Absurd meowed, glancing at her, "This is going to be a dangerous mission. And you'll be in the clan, I'll be out in the forest. There's a difference." He started to gather his belongings.

Hedge scoffed, "Don't be such a grouch! I'll still visit you before the mission is over."

Absurd stopped what he was doing and turned back to her, looking into her eyes, "Promise?"

"I _promise_!" Hedge laughed, playfully prodding his nose.

"You're acting like a kit again." Absurd teased, moving away from her. "Do I have to keep reminding you to act like a grown cat?"

"Oh, come on, Absurd, we're not that old!" She laughed.

"I think we are." He argued, picking up his bundle of junk between his jaws.

"Sixteen and Seventeen moons aren't even _close_ to being old!" She looked at him with a mixture of happiness and teasing eyes.

"Fine, I guess you're right." He purred through the, turning away from her. She saw him picking up some extra dog teeth for his claws in a bundle, "We have to go soon." He reminded her, "Aren't you bringing anything?"

Hedge shook her head, "Nope! I'm going to walk right into their territory, asking if I could join."

Absurd looked worried, but she pretended not to notice it, "Sure, like trespassing in their territory is a good start." He meowed, half jokingly, half serious.

"It's not like i've thought it through or anything." Hedge snickered.

"Typical Hedge." Absurd grunted jokingly. She heard paws scuffling the ground and turned her head just in time to to see a small head pop into the den, "Oh, hello Coal!" She smiled at the messenger, wondering what he would say.

His eyes looked fearful but confident, "You guys must go." He told them, voice cracking.

"Already?" Absurd sighed, not waiting for the smaller cat to answer, "Yes, we should go now. We don't want Ace to wake up to us still here."

Hedge nodded, then stood up and pushed her way past Coal and into the clearing. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, taking in the smell of the morning air.

"I'll miss this place." Absurd's voice came from beside her. She opened her eyes and saw him sitting lazily beside her, his eyes half closed.

"Yeah." She saw Coal move quickly across the alleyway and out of sight behind a trash can. She got up and nosed him in the side, which made him get up, "Let's go."

Absurd's eyes were wide open now. He flicked his tail slowly in agreement, and picked up his bundle of belongings, leading the way to the forest.

 **-Later-**

Hedge padded up to the border, detecting it from the strong stench. She glanced at Absurd, who was beside her, carrying his bundle in his jaws.

Hedge dipped her head at Absurd, "Goodbye, I'll visit you." She mowed, looking up at him. He returned the gesture smiled at her.

"I'll try to stay around. You better not forget me." Absurd teased, flicking his ears.

"I'll remember. Don't worry, I'm going to visit you." She repeated, looking him in the eyes, "Now, we have to go our separate ways." Hedge meowed, touching her tail to his shoulder.

Absurd nodded, "See you later." He meowed. Before he turned away, she saw worry flash in his eyes. Hedge watched him as he disappeared within the trees of the border. She picked up her paws and padded farther into the forest, farther into the border of Shellclan.

Hedge felt a woosh of air from behind her and glanced back just in time to see a flash of orange streaking towards her. Claws ripped onto her shoulders, making her slam hard onto the ground. She let out a gasp of shock and blindly lashed out with her claws, scratching whatever she could.

 _They're too strong!_ She thought, panicked, as the cat held her firmly in place, deflecting her attacks. She closed her eyes, _At this rate, they'll kill me!_

"Stay still, would you?!" The cat snarled, "I want to get a good look at you, trespasser!" Hedge froze suddenly, _That voice…_ , His breath was hot against her face "Who are you?" He hissed, his claws still on her shoulders.

She opened her eyes wide, shocked, "Lick?!" She gasped, _I didn't have to find the target, the target found me!_

Lick's eyes widened with shock and confusion. He released his grip a little, "It's Lickpaw," he corrected her, then shook his head, "Why are you here, Hedge?" he asked, puzzled.

 _Lickpaw's a traitor, I have to lie to him too_ , She realized, then looked up at Lickpaw, "I-I was chased off by Ace…" She mumbled. This time Lickpaw released her fully and she rose to her paws.

"What?! Why?" He asked, puzzled.

"I f-failed a mission…" Hedge meowed. She was surprised at how shameful her voice sounded, but she ducked her head just so he wouldn't notice, "I have nowhere to go." She looked up at Lickpaw, who was watching her, "I decided it was best if I came here, since I knew you joined not too long ago."

Lickpaw looked at her for a couple heartbeats, then looked a lot happier and relieved than he was just a moment ago, "Thank Starclan!" He sighed, "I'll talk to Reedstar and see what I can do." He meowed, standing back up. He started to move farther into the territory, "Follow me!" Lickpaw called to her over his shoulder.

She bounded quickly to keep up with him, glancing back. Behind her, she saw a horribly familiar eye that made her stop in her tracks. _Ace? What is_ he _doing here…?_ She blinked once, and suddenly, the eye had disappeared. _Maybe I imagined it,_ Hedge thought, still confused.

"Hedge, c'mon! I don't have all day!" Lickpaw's voice snapped her back into reality, who was waiting by a tree, staring at her. She tried to clear her head by shaking it. Hedge started to walk slowly over to her old group-mate as her green eyes scanned the trees once more for her leader's eye. She turned back to Lickpaw.

"I'm coming!"

* * *

 **I hope you like this chapter, don't forget to comment your criticism below!**

 **And yes, Hedge is 16 moons and Absurd is 17 moons lol  
Sorry if I hadn't made it clear in the prologue that they were young.**

 **Next up: Chapter 2 - Crow-food**


	3. Chapter 2 - Cause and Effect

Coal sat by a foul smelling trash can, which was on its side, and looked around the alleyway with his head low. There were mismatched cats all around the clearing, with torn ears, spiked collars, and old scars. Shadows loomed over the cats, the sun slightly setting behind a building making it hard for Coal to see anything.

Out of the corner of his wide eyes, he saw a gray cat enter the alleyway, "Ace." He breathed in fear. Coal shrunk further into the shadows, trying to stay hidden so his leader wouldn't see him.

The psychotic cat seemed to spot Coal, his eyes narrowing as if his eyesight had gone bad. Ace started to pad over to Coal's hiding spot, his face looking like a mixture of annoyance and success. Coal braced himself, ready to come out of the dark shadows.

"Ah, Ghost. Just the cat I want to see!" Ace's voice echoed around the alleyway. At Ace's exclamation, the messenger gulped down his fear enough to notice Ghost's presence from around the trash can. Coal shifted in surprise, _He wasn't coming to see me_!

"Ace." Ghost greeted him. Coal imagined the pale cat dipping his head at his leader, "What do you need me for?"

"I just wanted to discuss Absurd and Hedge's mission." Ace meowed, sitting almost out of view, but within earshot of Coal.

"Well, what happened?" The little messenger saw Ace lean forward a little, so he perked up his ears to hear his leader's quieted voice, who told the deputy what he had seen. Ace leaned back and Ghost murmured, "I see. So, Hedge found Lick?"

"Yes, and she did an _excellent_ job convincing him she was exiled from Crimsonclan. Too bad she's a spy, or else she would have killed him on the spot."

"Absurd might as well train her in fighting." Ghost meowed. Coal shifted his position, trying to stay as silent as he could. Ace and Ghost went quiet. Coal pelt prickled tensely as the two listened suspiciously.

After a couple heartbeats, Ghost broke the silence, "So why didn't you kill him yourself, Ace?" Coal let out a breath of relief as Ghost changed the subject. Then he widened his eyes in shock, _He questioned the leader!_

Ace paused menacingly, but answered slowly, "I want to see if their loyalties still lie with me. The last time Hedge and Absurd went on a mission together, they nearly failed."

"What if…" Ghost hesitated in disbelief, "What if they're traitors?"

Ace let out a deep, menacing growl, then lowered his voice, "I'll have them _ripped_ to pieces if I must."

Coal let out a small gasp, backing up to try to run. _I have to warn them!_ He bumped into a small tin can behind him. Coal tensed up and turned around just in time to see it clatter onto its side, echoing around the now silent clearing. He gulped, his heart beating faster, as more shadows loomed over him. He turned around slowly, trembling in fear.

There stood Ace and Ghost. Their looks on their faces were full of anger and shock, "You dirty little rat!" Ace spat in outrage, "You were eavesdropping on us!"

"N-No! I-I-I was- I-It was an accident!" He stuttered, his tail between his legs.

"An _accident_ , he says!" Ghost sneered. Ace took a step forward, exposing a clear spot to slip past. _Now's my chance. I have to run!_ Coal bolted forward, roughly pushing the two cats aside. He sped towards the exit of the alleyway, running as fast as he can.

"Get that spying coward!" He heard Ace yowl, his voice echoing around them. The alleyway suddenly filled with chatter and thundering paw-steps. He glanced behind him and saw Bane, a she-cat guard, hot on his heels. In fear for his life, Coal put on an extra burst of speed. His fur was spiked up in fear. Every bone in his body urged him to turn himself in, but he kept running.

Coal burst out of the alleyway and kept running, the two-leg buildings flashing shadows across his face. He didn't stop nor look back.

His paws were sore and aching from pounding across the hard asphalt, but he didn't slow down until he reached the forest. Once Coal made sure no other cat was following him, he collapsed onto the mossy ground and lay there. His tongue lolled like a dogs' and he let his exhaustion lead his consciousness to darkness.

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **Poor Coal, what did he ever do wrong...**

 **If any of you noticed… No, I did not use the title that it said last time, but I'll probably use "Crowfood" for the next one. No promises, though :)**

 **Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for the next chapter(s)!**


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